Diana Sholley

Reporter

Recent articles

Baking

Phil Holcomb can often be seen walking his dog Willy along the tree-lined paths of the Claremont Colleges.On Friday mornings, their route includes a trek to Scripps College’s Seal Court, to buy a fresh-baked loaf of challah to pair with his morning coffee.“I can smell it even before we get there,” said Holcomb, a 74-year-old Claremont resident. “My favorite is the cinnamon sugar.”Challah is a Jewish braided bread usually served on...

Comics

Marigold Heavenly Nostrils is nothing like “My Little Pony,” and fans of Dana Simpson love it.The self-absorbed unicorn is one of two characters at the heart of Simpson’s popular comic “Phoebe and Her Unicorn,” a story about 9-year-old Phoebe and her one-horned best friend. The strip started in 2009 as “Heavenly Nostrils” when Simpson won the Amazon/Universal Uclick Comic Strip Superstar Contest. The prize was a contract to...

Dining

Shirley and George Patrick of Upland go out to eat — a lot.The couple usually stick to the same cafes, diners and eateries where they know the menu and love the food.“But that can get boring,” Shirley admitted.That’s why the Patricks are so thrilled about Inland Empire Restaurant Week.“We could try new places, discover restaurants we didn’t even know existed,”...

Self-help books

For more than 25 years, Donna Cooley nudged, coaxed and practically begged her good friend Judith Valles to write down her mother’s words of wisdom.“I was always afraid if she didn’t that one day they would be gone forever,” said Cooley, an adjunct instructor for Cal State San Bernardino. “(Valles) mentored me with those words and they helped me so much more than any lecture.”When Valles, San Bernardino’s first Hispanic mayor,...

Musical theater

Those who have been to Las Vegas will have likely seen the giant, golden Wynn high-rise casino hotel while driving down the city’s famous strip. But David Burnhamhas not only seen it, the former Fontana farm boy is basically calling it his home as he stars in its newest stage production, “ShowStoppers.” And it all started with a message on Facebook.“I was at home, perfectly happy. It had been four years of touring and performing doing eight shows a...

Wine tastings

Typically, spitting in public is considered uncouth — but not always.Wine lovers attending the Family Winemakers of California Tasting at Fairplex in Pomona will be swirling, sniffing, sipping and, yes, spitting.“With more than 500 wines available to taste, spitting will help preserve the decision making,” said Paul Kronenberg, president of Family Winemakers of California.Family Winemakers is an organization of small wineries founded in 1990 to...

Comedy performance

Comedians Brad Sherwood and Colin Mochrie have toured the country for 12 years and have never repeated the same show twice.Impossible? Not at all — not when the whole show is based on audience suggestions and improvisations.“We just hand the keys to the audience and let them take us where ever they want to go,” said Sherwood, who’s been a recurring character on the television version since 1992. “It’s intellectual...

Comedy performance

Kathleen Madigan catapulted to fame when she was a finalist on the second season of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing.” But the award-winning comedian said she still prefers to create a comfortable atmosphere each time she steps onto a stage.“I want it to feel like a giant bar conversation,” explained Madigan, a regular panelist on Comedy Central’s “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore.” “I talk about just normal, everyday stuff...

Flower and garden shows

Sunshine and greenery abound in Southern California’s landscape, but every year the area’s picturesque canvas gets a pop of color thanks to wildflower season.Just look around — alongside freeways, in open fields, on neighborhood slopes — and there’s bound to be Sand Blazing Star, Desert Five Spot and Desert Gold Poppy along the horizon.“Wildflowers are miracles of the desert,” said John Purcell, executive director of the...

Gourmet food

One look at 400 pounds of chocolate crafted into endless shapes and sizes would even have Willy Wonka drooling.Pair that with hundreds of wines from more than 60 vineyards, food samplings, live entertainment and a silent auction and it can only mean one thing: it’s time for the seventh annual Chocolate Decadence and Pechanga Wine Festival at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula. On Friday, more than 21,000 square-feet of space will be filled with tables and booths...